TMT: One last time together

This is the next entry in a Theatre… a Movie… and a Time, a series that was begun here. No one is more surprised any worthy memories left to download than I. But since we’re hosting our youngest during her college break, made me reflect back to something as I’m normally wont to do anyway. To a previous period when they were always at home, and how it’s changed. Still, as my lovely bride has already pointed out…

“If we did our parenting job right, this is how it’s suppose to go.”

Theatre

Movie

Time

June 17, 2018: Know full well I get the blame credit for getting us out of the house and into a movie theater as a family to see something. Of course, the kids really didn’t have a choice since they were too little to know better through their growing years. They certainly got use to being taken to many an animated flick. Almost as fast as learning to operate a VHS play deck and later DVD player by themselves to watch them at home.

Somehow, I convinced my wife, their mother, to come along with us from time-to-time. Not an easy chore as she didn’t have the same experience growing up with movies during childhood as moi. While she enjoyed an occasional film now and then, it wasn’t anything close to what I’d instilled in our offspring since they were wee tykes. Using mine as the template, there could not possibly be any other way in my book.

The clear exception being Ratatouille…being raised a food preparer since childhood, rats, food, and the kitchen just don’t go together in her estimation

At times, we’d regret taking our children to some things (cough…Shark Tale…cough), but most of the time these were enjoyable family escapades. Especially, if it was done by folks at Pixar — their releases would become annual events I wouldn’t have to drag anyone to. Something we’d all anticipate…or at least put up with dad’s need to check it off some list in his head. Like some earthly requirement before dying.

By the time the kids were teens, some reluctance had shown up between mother and kids, alike. Wasn’t as much urgency to see a Pixar film the very first weekend of release. Their mom skipping some. Oh, well. Made peace with that, too. Then, those darn kids kept maturing — like there was something else in their lives besides going out as a family to this venture. Friends, school, eventually a job or two. Go figure.

Then, when my daughter graduated high school, soon to head off to college a good bit aways, and our oldest with a job, finally realized these Pixar events were coming to a natural end. My wife attempted to calm me of this. Looking at the calendar with the start of the summer quarter looming at a distant university and her sibling’s work schedule, The Incredibles 2 screening took on a new significance. The last of its kind for us.

Wasn’t going to miss this so I threw down my spousal marker1, found a time to squeeze all of us in at the AMC Century City 15 opening weekend (a place we’d spent many a time together) to cherish the passing as a unit with the studio that made me cry on more than one occasion…how appropriate.

The entire TMT series can be found here. If you’re interested how it’s put together, click here.

Like John Wick Chapter 2, this is one of those blood oath things we set up some three decades ago for each to use when needed that must be honored. ↩

11 Responses to “TMT: One last time together”

Yeah, I can relate to this bittersweet time in our movie-going lives. Our son is a high school senior. No more, Pixar but we’ll still go out to see a new Studio Ghibli title. Today, we are going to see “They Shall Not Grow Old” Happy New Year!

These posts are what originally connected us and I know exactly how you feel. The passage of time and maturity of our kids starts to move us to a different stage in our lives. I currently am doing a brief reminiscence on film stories with my wife. It’s worth the effort to remember the good stuff.

Hi, Lloyd. Good to hear from again. Yeah, that “blood patch marker” is a simple but effective oath long established either of us can pull out and commit the other to something they may not wish to attend. We credit it for smoothing over many a potential problem in our wedding bond. Many thanks, my friend, and Happy New Year. 🙂